Iron Maiden Guy Takes Job At Airline

Semi-known fact: Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden spends a bunch of time working as a pilot for Astraeus, a Great Britain-based airline. New semi-known fact: Bruce Dickinson just took a job as the head of marketing at Astraeus, pushing out the old marketing director and moving up the ranks. Here's what his bosses said about him:

"Bruce is a great communicator," explained Astraeus's chief commercial officer, Shaun Monnery. "[And] he knows the aviation industry inside out." A long-time pilot, Dickinson has not just flown commercial charters for Astraeus, he has helmed Iron Maiden's private jet and even rescued stranded Britons. "I did seriously think about going to fly aeroplanes as an alternative career," he told the Guardian in 2002. "I was putting out piloting CVs that said nothing about me being the lead singer of Iron Maiden."

"In a demanding industry he is a man who can cope with pressure," Monnery said, "whether as a 757 captain or in front of 50,000 Iron Maiden fans, or senior airline and aviation managers." And Dickinson, 52, shows no sign of quitting his other gig. "I could never contemplate giving up music," he told CNN last year. People say, 'Why do you need a second job?'. I say 'Why do you need to breathe?'"

I just realized I read that last part as Dickinson sing-screaming it to me. How gnarly would it be to have the dude from Iron Maiden as the guy reminding you to put your trays in the upright positions? [Guardian]